


like the moon pulls the tide (slowly, slowly)

by mlraven



Category: Actor RPF, Black Panther (2018) RPF
Genre: Cameos from the rest of the cast - Freeform, Cast as family, Hoodies, M/M, Pining, Press Tour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-01 19:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14527899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlraven/pseuds/mlraven
Summary: The hoodie goes missing after a late night pool party on the press tour.





	like the moon pulls the tide (slowly, slowly)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [selfinduced](https://archiveofourown.org/users/selfinduced/gifts).



> Happy Wakanda In My Pants! Thank you for organizing this fest!
> 
> I kind of mashed-up a few of your prompts to make this; hopefully you like it! Sadly, I didn't manage to include any Hand Discourse (tm) :crieslaughing:
> 
> Thanks to Muccamukk for the beta!
> 
> [The hoodie in question.](https://www.instagram.com/p/BiRheBfH5Bs/)

The hoodie goes missing after a late night pool party on the press tour.

It starts when Lupita’s had to grimace through a few too many clueless “compliments” and she breaks and texts the groupchat:

_Hotel pool, whenever you’re done with your interviews. I have the tequila._

The unamused face, tumbler of alcohol, and knife emojis that follow make the subtext clear.

When Chadwick shows up, there’s already a spirited game of water polo underway. Letitia and Winston appear to be arguing about the boundary of the invisible net, egged on by Daniel. Lupita and Danai are sitting on the edge of the pool, legs in the water, talking in low voices as Lupita mixes drinks. Michael is nowhere to be seen.

Chadwick hesitates before stepping out of his slides and pulling off his t-shirt. He watches as Letitia climbs on Daniel’s back, saying “Gotta get on eye-level!” as she gestures between her eyes and Winston’s.

He slips into the pool, dodging what looks to be a brewing splash-fight and walking over to stand by Lupita and Danai.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he offers to Lupita.

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “No, it was just your typical nonsense. I just needed to forget about it for a night.” She hands him a plastic cup. “Here, drink up.”

His protests shrivel in his throat as the door swings open to reveal Michael: bright blue swim trunks clinging to muscled thighs, chest bare with only a small towel dangling around his neck. Chadwick takes a hasty sip to disguise his stare, even as his heated gaze sweeps over Michael’s toned abs, involuntarily following the trail of dark hair to where it vanishes under the trunks.

When he turns back to her, Lupita’s watching him knowingly.

Before he can open his mouth to object, she’s already talking. “I know,” she says; they’ve had this conversation several times. “Just enjoy it tonight.”

He sighs and shakes his head. They’re all tired, and he really doesn’t want to rehash this again. Instead, he pushes himself up to sit next to Danai, sipping idly as he watches Michael wade into the battle in the middle of the pool.

Letitia shrieks a greeting and launches herself off of Daniel’s back to crash into Michael, whose arms come up instinctively to catch her. Chadwick swallows a groan at the flex of his biceps. He’s in shape for _Creed 2_ , and his arm is the size of Titia’s head.

He tries to redirect his attention to the conversation next to him, but Lupita and Danai have moved on to discussing their upcoming vacation to Nigeria, and it’s hard to hold a conversation when _that’s_ happening right in front of his face.

Eventually, he gives up, sets his empty cup down and slides back into the pool.

“What’s this I hear about the supremacy of the Jabari?”

  
  


Several hours later, the party migrates to Chadwick’s hotel room.

Somehow, Lupita’s maneuvered things such that he and Michael are squished together on the tiny loveseat that was clearly designed for smaller, less ripped humans. He can feel the heat of Michael’s body seeping into his, burning where their thighs align. Despite his best efforts at compartmentalization, Chadwick feels sparks in his gut when their arms brush.

From her seat on the floor, Danai is arguing with Michael about where to go on their day off tomorrow. Honestly, Chadwick doesn’t care, as long as he gets to sleep in.

Letitia’s slumped over in an armchair, blinking tiredly. Daniel is speaking to her in a low voice, likely encouraging her to get up and go to bed.

Winston is lying flat on his back, taking up almost the entirety of the tiny living room floor in Chadwick’s suite. Lupita is perched on top of him like a bird, and they’re laughing uproariously about something, probably a story from drama school.

One by one, they leave: Danai first, arm around Letitia, followed shortly thereafter by Daniel and Winston.

Chadwick’s zoning out, staring unblinkingly into space, when Lupita taps him on the shoulder. He starts, gaze snapping to her face.

“He’s asleep,” she whispers, before he can ask.

Chadwick turns his head to see Michael, slumped over the arm of the sofa, eyes shut, breathing rhythmically. He looks peaceful.

“What—” Chadwick starts to ask, but Lupita shakes her head, smiling softly.

“Let him sleep,” she says, offering Chadwick a hand. She helps him extricate himself with minimal jostling, then walks him over to the door that leads to his bedroom. She hugs him, taking the opportunity to say, mischievous voice close to his ear, “It’s his own fault if he wakes up with a crick in his neck.” She gives him a gentle shove toward his bed and lets herself out of the suite.

  
  


When he wakes up, both Michael and Chadwick’s favorite hoodie are gone.

  
  


A week after the _Infinity War_ rigamarole ends, Lupita texts him a photo. He raises an eyebrow; she doesn’t usually acknowledge paparazzi, let alone share their photos. Then he squints, pinching the photo to zoom in.

It’s Michael, standing outside a trailer, wearing a familiar sleeveless sweatshirt.

Lupita’s pointed caption reads: _What was that about “unrequited on-set crush,” again?_

Chadwick shakes his head, smiling despite himself.

He’ll send Lupita his thanks on the way to the airport. He has a plane to catch.


End file.
